Paper centering means for paper punch



Dec. 23, 1969 A. NEUSTADTER ETAL 3,485,130

PAPER CENTERING MEANS FOR PAPER PUNCH Filed May 9, 196'? Q\ N MXH.

INVENTORS: ARNOLD NEUSTADTER HILDAUR L. NEILSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Differently colored pointer markings on the base of a plural-punch paper punching device cooperate with a sheet of paper and with a slidable paper guide in locating the latter to hold the paper in position to have plural holes punched in centered relation on a margin of the paper in positions corresponding to correspondingly col-.

ored punch-spacing and hole-position indicators which show the adjustment of the device for punching holes in different relationships.

A RELATED DISCLOSURE This invention provides-paper centering means for a paper punch such as is disclosed in copending application of Hildaur L. Neilsen, Ser. No. 568,454, filed July 28, 1966, now Patent No. 3,392,913, dated July 16, 1968.

BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART In prior devices for punching two or more-holes along the margin of a sheet of paper, the centering of the series of holes has involved positioning the paper so that the opposite end holes of the series are equally spaced or appear to be equally spaced from corresponding ends of said margin of the paper; all without precise guidance except by measurements by means separate from the punching device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention facilitates paper centering'without requiring either guesswork or separate measuring means. This result, in the broadest aspect of this invention, is achieved by providing a fixed pointer located on the device at precisely a mid-positionwith reference to t-wo.or more punches which are to be operated, and by providing a paper guide, slidable in line with said pointer.

The position in which the paper guide is to be positioned is determined as the distance from said pointer corresponding to one-half the length ofthe papers margin. in which the holes are to. be punched; that dimension being assured by folding a sheet of the paper in half transversely of said margin and by using the halved margin in spacing the paper guide from said pointer. It is to be understood, of course, that the thus folded sheet is only one of many similar sized sheets to be punched after the described position of the paper guide.

Somewhat more specifically, the invention is adaptable to a paper punch as disclosed in said copending application in a manner hereinafter explained.

THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING The present drawing illustrates a preferred form of this invention as embodied in a paper punch wherein plural punches may be activated selectively to provide for differing spacing of plural holes to be punched; such a punch being disclosed in said copending application.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the paper punch, partly broken away to show details; and

3,485,130 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 FIG. 2 is a vertical, sectional view substantially on the irregular line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DETAILS OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT The disclosed paper punch comprises an elongate base 10 having upstanding ears 12 at is opposite ends to which opposite ends of an operating lever 14 are pivoted by an elongate pivot rod 16, and a punchholding frame 18 fixed upon the base, underneath the operating lever and spaced from the base by a spacing plate 20, a front edge 22 of which serves as a back wall of a paper receiving slot 24.

A plurality of similar, aligned punches 26 (only one being shown) are carried by the frame 18, the punches being seven in number in the illustrated embodiment and spaced to correspond with the spacing of indicator holes 28 provided in the operating lever. Eauh punch 26 is yieldably held in its upper position, as shown in FIG. 2, by a spring 30 and, when forced downwardly, the punch, in cooperation with a receptive hole 32, cuts or punches a hole in paper positioned within the slot 24.

An elongate punch actuating member 34 is slidably mounted within the operating lever 14- by means of two studs 36, fixed in the operating lever and extending slidably through slots 38 formed in themember 34. The punch actuating member is formed with plural punch actuating portions (only one being shown) which extend downwardly to engage the upper ends of related punches aligned there with to press said punches downwardly to punch holes in paper in the slot 24 when the lever 14 is manually pressed downwardly.

The punch actuating portions 40 are suitably spaced and so located along the member 34 that, in different adjusted positions of the latter, the user may selectively use the device (as in the illustrated embodiment) to punch five diflerent combinations of spaced holes. Sliding of the member 34 to its five diiferent operating positions is effected by manual turning of a head 42 of a screw 44 which is mounted in one end of the operating lever and held against material endwise shifting; the threaded end of the screw being threaded into the adjacent end of the punch actuating member 34.

The operating lever 14 is formed with a window 46 through which indicia 48 on the punch actuating member 34 are visible. The bottom edge of the window is formed with a pointer 50 and the indicia 48 include-five different indicating portions 48a, b, c, d and e each of which, when brought into register with the pointer 50 by slidably adjusting the member 34, indicates and corresponds 'to a different one of the five punch combinations available inuse of the device.

In the disclosure of the mentioned copending application, top surface areas of the punch actuating member 34, are similarly colored, over such limited areas adjacent to the holes 28, that, at any one of the :five settings of the member 34 for punch operation, the areas of the latter member which are visible through holes 28 will show such coloring at the holes corresponding to the punches their subject to operation, and only at such corresponding holes.

The paper punch thus far described herein corresponds to the one disclosed in said copending application excepting only that instead of the pivot rod 16 disclosed and described herein, the copending application shows separate hinge studs for pivoting the opposite ends of the operating lever to upright end ears of the devices base.

One using the device of the copending application could center paper for punching only by measuring parts of the paper to be punched which parts would be beyond opposite ends of the series of holes to be punched, or by, rather unreliably, merely judging visually how the paper should be placed in the device. The present invention completely overcomes these drawbacks.

This invention includes a paper guide 52 slidably carried on the pivot rod 16. The guide 52 includes a bifurcated, mounting portion 54 at its upper end, two spaced parts of the latter being curled about and in close sliding relation to the rod 16. Between the two spaced parts, a coil spring 56 is coiled about said rod in rather tight but slidable relation thereto so that the guide 52 will not slide along the rod in use except by being deliberately pushed therealong.

The paper guide 52 also includes a paper engaging button 58, fixed to the lower end of an intermediate or suspension portion 60, the latter portion extending freely between a front skirt 14a of the operating lever 14 and the front of the punch-holding frame 18, and holding the button 58 at a level coincident with the paper slot 24.

It should be noted that, in the device disclosed herein, as with the device of the copending application, the punches 26 are so related to the portions of the punch actuating member 34 which actuate them that the number and spacing of holes to be punched will correspond to the particular indication of whichever of indicia portions 48a, b, c, d, or e is brought into register with the pointer 50.

It should be noted, moreover, that in this invention as disclosed, the couple or series of punches for effecting punchings corresponding to all three of indicia portions 480, d and e have a common center corresponding to pointer marking 62 which is fixedly applied, where shown, to the devices base 10.

Likewise, fixed pointer markings 64 and 66 are applied to the base in positions thereon which, respectively, correspond to points midway between the two different couples of punches which become operative when the member 34 is adjusted to bring indicia portions 48b and 48a into register with the pointer 50. The pointer markings 62, 64 and 66 may be embossed upon or otherwise suitably applied to the base 10.

It will be seen that, in the use of the paper punch disclosed herein, only three different centers, corresponding to pointer markings 62, 64, 66 are involved. To enable a user to distinguish the particular center involved in centering paper for a particular punching operation, the indicia area of member 34 which is visible through the window 46 is given three different background colors. Thus, the color blue may be applied at area 34a Within which indicia portion 48a is located, the color green may be applied at area 34b within which indicia portion 48b is located, and the color red may be applied at area 340 within which indicia portions 48c, d and e are located.

The same three colors are used for the pointer markings. If indicia coloring, as hereinbefore suggested, is employed, then pointer markings 62, 64, 66 would be red, green and blue respectively. Thus, the user will know that the pointer marking 62, 64 or 66 which corresponds in color to the color of the area 34a, b, or c at which the pointer 50 registers for any given punch combination is the proper center indication for centering paper in a manner hereinafter explained.

The colored areas of the punch actuating member which underlie the areas of and adjacent to the indicator holes 28 may be of a single or common color as in the mentioned copending application. It is advantageous, however, for these areas to be of colors corresponding to operatively related colors of areas 34a, b c of member 34 and of pointer markings 62, 64, 66. Thus, for example, the same color (green) is indicated in those two holes 28 providing the particular punching indicated in green area 3412 of the member 34.

Following the same color scheme, the areas of the punch actuating member underlying holes 28 which correspond to punches employed to provide the hole punching combinations of colored areas 34a and 34c, would be given the same colors as their corresponding color areas 34a, 34c.

4 MANNER OF USING THIS INVENTION If, for example, two holes spaced 2% apart are to be punched, head 42 of screw 44 is turned to slide the punch actuating member 34 to a position in which indicia 48d is aligned with pointer 50 thereby setting the device to provide the desired number and spacing of holes to be punched.

At that point in the use of the device, the pointer 50 points into the red colored area 340 and the color red will show up in only the third and fifth holes 28; and a central point between said holes will correspond precisely to red pointer marking 62 on the base of the device.

The user will then take a sheet of paper of the same size, at least along the margin to be punched, as similar sheets which require punching and will fold that sheet in half across said margin, the fold thus being at the precise center of that margin. Then, using the margin of the folded sheet for measuring purposes, he will slide the button 58 to such a position as to space its right side face, from the red pointer marking 62, the same distance as the length of the folded marginal portion of the folded paper.

After making the above adjustments, the holes formed in non-folded paper sheets abutting the right side of button 58 will be precisely centered with respect to the opposite ends of the punched margin.

It should be understood that the correlation of colors of the pointer markings 62, 64, 66 to colors of portions of the top surface of the punch actuating member 34 does not necessarily require the provision of both a colored area visible through a window such as window 46 and colored areas underlying the holes 28.

If the window and its related coloring scheme are retained, the holes 28 may be dispensed with while still retaining the centering facility of the device; but then the user would not be able to visualize the precise location of the holes to be punched.

On the other hand, if the holes 28 and their related coloring scheme are retained, the window 46 may be dispensed with while still retaining the centering facility of the device; but then the user could not as readily set the device for the particular number and spacing of holes to be punched.

It is reiterated, however, that it is preferable to utilize both the window 46 and the holes 28 with their related color schemes in practicing this invention.

It is to be understood that this invention may be practiced in various other ways without, however, departing from the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a punching device for punching plural combinations of plural spaced holes in line along a margin of a sheet of paper or the like; means for centering the paper with respect to plural punches for punching said holes, comprising a slidably adustable punch actuating member adapted, in different adjusted positions, to actuate different sets of punches for effecting different punching combinations, different visible, indicating means on said member with respect to different said combinations, combination distinguishing means adjacent to said indicating means for distinguishing the particular hole punching combination for which said member is adjusted, separate, distinguishable, center point marks at points on the device midway between end punches of said different sets, and a paper-guide button shiftable on said device, in parallelism with the plural punches of any of said sets, to a position spaced from the center point mark of any selected one of said sets to the extent of one half the length of the paper margin in which holes are to be punched by the selected set; the said indicating means comprising indicia on an upper surface of said punch actuating member, and said combination distinguishing means comprising a pointer in position to point selectively to different portions of said indicia which indicate particular, difierent, adjustments of said member for deriving a particular combination of holes to be punched; each of said indicia portions including center determining means for determining which of the center point marks is effective as a reference point for adjustment of said button for paper guidance purposes with respect to a punching combination of which the punch actuating member is adjusted.

2. Centering means according to claim 1, said indicia being visible through a window formed in an operating lever of the device, and said pointer being integral with said lever and located at said window and adjacent to the line of movement pursued by said portions of the indicia during sliding adjusting movement of the punch actuating member.

3. Centering means according to claim 1, said center determining means comprising related coloring provided on said punch actuating member at the area thereof carrying said indicia and on said center point marks; each of said indicia portions having the same color as the effective center point mark for center pointing with reference to its related indicia portion.

4. In a punching device for punching plural combinations of plural spaced holes in line along a margin of a sheet of paper or the like; means for centering the paper marks at points on the device midway between end punches of said different sets, and a paper-guide button shiftable on said device, in parallelism with the plural punches of any of said sets, to a position spaced from the center point mark of any selected one of said sets to the extent of one half the length of the paper margin in which holes are to be punched by the selected set; said combination indicating and distinguishing means comprising an operating lever closely overlying said punch actuating member and having plural punch indicating holes therein in relative positions corresponding to relative positions of said plural punches, said center point marks being differently colored but similar coloring being provided with respect to any given one of said center point marks and surfaces of said punch actuating member adjacent to those of said punch indicating holes which correspond with punches with reference to which the given center point mark is centered.

5. In a punching device for punching plural combinations of plural spaced holes in line along a margin of a sheet of paper or the like; means for centering the paper with respect to plural punches for punching said holes, comprising a slidably adjustable punch actuating member adapted, in different adjusted positions, to actuate different sets of punches for effecting different punching combinations, different visible, indicating means on said member with respect to different said combinations, combination distinguishing means adjacent to said indicating means for distinguishing the particular hole punching combination for which said member is adjusted, separate, distinguishable, center point marks at points on the device midway between end punches of said different sets, and a paper-guide button shiftable on said device, in parallelism with the plural punches of any of said sets, to a position spaced from the center point .mark of any selected one of said sets to the extent of one half the length of the paper margin in which holes are to be punched by the selected set; said combination indicating and distinguishing means comprising an operating lever closely overlying said punch actuating member and having plural punch indicating holes therein in relative positions corresponding to relative positions of said plural punches, said center point marks being differently colored but similar coloring being provided with respect to any given one of said center point marks and surfaces of said punch actuating member adjacent to those of said punch indicating holes which correspond with punches with reference to which the given center point mark is centered; said combination indicating and distinguishing means further comprising indicia on the upper surface of said punch actuating member and visible through a window formed in said operating lever, pointer located at said window and adjacent to the line of movement pursued by said indicia during sliding adjusting movement of the punch actuating member, said indicia, with respect to the different sets of punches, including different portions indicative of different punching combinations, and said different indicia portions being colored similarly to corresponding center point marks and to corresponding sets of said colored surfaces of the punch actuating member.

6. In a punching device having plural selectively operative sets of punches for selectively punching different combinations of holes in line along a margin of a sheet of paper or the like, an operating lever, a punch actuating member operated by said lever and slidably adjustable to enable it to actuate any given set of said punches; means for centering the paper with respect to any given set of the punches comprising plural colored surfaces of said member, visible through holes in said lever which correspond to the disposition of said punches, indicia on said member, visible through a window in said lever, and having different portions corresponding to different sets of the punches, a pointer at said window for indicating the set of punches which is operative at any one of plural adjusted positions of said member, separate center point marks on the device located mid-way between end punches of each of the punch sets, and a paper-guide button shiftable on said device in parallelism with the punches of said sets to a position spaced. from the center point mark of any selected one of said sets to the extent of one-half of the length of the paper margin in which holes are to be punched by the selected set; and, with respect to any given selected set, said surfaces of said member, and of said indicia portion, and of said center point mark being colored similarly to each other, but the last mentioned surfaces, indicia portions, and center point marks related to different sets of punches being differently colored.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1936 Roscoe 83-588 7/1968 Neilsen 234-98 US. Cl. X.R. 

